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EspañolJYLLANDS-POSTEN MUHAMMAD CARTOONS CONTROVERSY
The controversial cartoons of Muhammad, as they were first published in ''Jyllands-Posten'' in September 2005. Larger versions of the cartoons (some translated into English) are available off-site. The headline, "Muhammeds ansigt", means "Muhammad's face" in English.
The '''Jyllands-Posten'' Muhammad cartoons controversy' began after twelve editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper ''Jyllands-Posten'' on 2005-09-30. The newspaper announced that this publication was an attempt to contribute to the debate regarding criticism of Islam and self-censorship.
Danish Muslim organizations, who objected to the depictions, responded by holding public protests attempting to raise awareness of ''Jyllands-Posten'''s publication. The controversy deepened when further examples of the cartoons were reprinted in newspapers in more than fifty other countries.
This led to protests across the Muslim world, some of which escalated into violence (more than 100 deaths, altogether)[1], including setting fire to the Norwegian and Danish Embassies in Syria, and the storming of European buildings and desecration of the Danish and German flags in Gaza City. While a number of Muslim leaders called for protesters to remain peaceful, other radical Muslim leaders across the globe, including Mahmoud al-Zahar of Hamas, issued death threats.[2][3] Groups, primarily in the western world counter-responded with support of the Danish policies, including "Buy Danish" campaigns and other displays of support for free speech in Denmark.
Some critics of the cartoons described them as Islamophobic or racist,[4] and argue that they are blasphemous to people of the Muslim faith, intended to humiliate a Danish minority, or are a manifestation of ignorance about the history of western imperialism, from colonialism to the current conflicts in the Middle East.[5]
Supporters said that the cartoons have illustrated an important issue in a period of Islamist terrorism and that their publication is a legitimate exercise of the right of free speech. They also claim that similar cartoons about other religions are frequently printed, arguing that the followers of Islam were not targeted in a discriminatory way.[6]
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen described the controversy as Denmark's worst international crisis since World War II.[7]
Descriptions of the drawings
Main articles: Descriptions of the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons
Some of the cartoons can be difficult to fully understand for those without knowledge of certain Danish language metaphors or awareness of individuals of note to the Danish public. Furthermore, certain cartoons have captions written in Danish and one in Persian. Detailed descriptions of the cartoons and translations of the captions as well as explanations concerning Danish cultural references are provided here.
Timeline
Main articles: Timeline of the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
Debate about self-censorship
On September 17 2005, the Danish newspaper ''Politiken'' ran an article under the headline ''"Dyb angst for kritik af islam"'' [8] ("Profound fear of criticism of Islam"). The article discussed the difficulty encountered by the writer Kåre Bluitgen, who was initially unable to find an illustrator who was prepared to work with Bluitgen on his children's book ''Koranen og profeten Muhammeds liv'' (English: ''The Qur'an and the life of the Prophet Muhammad'' ISBN 87-638-0049-7). Three artists declined Bluitgen's proposal before one agreed to assist anonymously. According to Bluitgen:
One [artist declined], with reference to the murder in Amsterdam of the film director Theo van Gogh, while another [declined, citing the attack on] the lecturer at the Carsten Niebuhr Institute in Copenhagen.
In October 2004, a lecturer at the Niebuhr institute at the University of Copenhagen had been assaulted by five assailants who opposed his reading of the Qur'an to non-Muslims during a lecture.[9]
The refusal of the first three artists to participate was seen as evidence of self-censorship and led to much debate in Denmark, with other examples for similar reasons soon emerging. Comedian Frank Hvam declared that he would (hypothetically) dare to urinate on the Bible on television, but not on the Qur'an. [10][11] The translators of an essay collection critical of Islam also wished to remain anonymous due to concerns about violent reprisals.
Publication of the cartoons
On September 30 2005, the daily newspaper ''Jyllands-Posten'' ("The Jutland Post") published an article entitled "Muhammeds ansigt"[12] ("The face of Muhammad"). The article consisted of twelve cartoons (of which only some depicted Muhammad) and an explanatory text, in which Flemming Rose, ''Jyllands-Posten'''s culture editor, commented:
After the invitation from ''Jyllands-Posten'' to around forty different artists to give their interpretation of Muhammad, twelve caricaturists chose to respond with a drawing each. Many also commented on the surrounding self-censorship debate. Three of these twelve cartoons were illustrated by Jyllands-Posten's own staff, including the "bomb" and "niqabs" cartoons.
On February 19, Rose explained his intent further In the ''Washington Post'':
In October 2005, the Danish daily ''Politiken'' polled thirty-one of the forty-three members of the Danish cartoonist association. Twenty-three said they would be willing to draw Muhammad. One had doubts, one would not be willing because of fear of possible reprisals and six cartoonists would not be willing because they respected the Muslim ban on depicting the prophet.[13]
Danish Prime Minister's meeting refusal
Having received petitions from Danish imams, eleven ambassadors from Muslim-majority countries asked for a meeting with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen in 12 October 2005, in order to discuss what they perceived as an "on-going smearing campaign in Danish public circles and media against Islam and Muslims". In a letter, the ambassadors mentioned not only the issue of the Muhammad cartoons, but also a recent indictment against Radio Holger,[14] and statements by MP Louise Frevert[15] and the Minister of Culture, Brian Mikkelsen.[16] It concluded:
The government answered the ambassadors' request for a meeting with Rasmussen with a letter only: "The freedom of expression has a wide scope and the Danish government has no means of influencing the press. However, Danish legislation prohibits acts or expressions of blasphemous or discriminatory nature. The offended party may bring such acts or expressions to court, and it is for the courts to decide in individual cases."[17]
The ambassadors maintained that they had never asked for ''Jyllands-Posten'' to be prosecuted; possibly, the non-technical phrase of the letter, "to take NN to task under law", meant something like "to hold NN responsible within the limits of the law".[18] Rasmussen replied: "Even a non-judicial intervention against ''Jyllands-Posten'' would be impossible within our system".[19]
The Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aboul Gheit, wrote several letters to the Prime Minister of Denmark and to the United Nations Secretary-General explaining that they did not want the Prime Minister to prosecute ''Jyllands-Posten''; they only wanted "an official Danish statement underlining the need for and the obligation of respecting all religions and desisting from offending their devotees to prevent an escalation which would have serious and far-reaching consequences".[20] Subsequently, the Egyptian government played a leading role in defusing the issue in the Middle East.[21]
The refusal to meet the ambassadors has been criticized by the Danish political opposition, twenty-two Danish ex-ambassadors, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Uffe Ellemann-Jensen.[22]
Judicial investigation of ''Jyllands-Posten''
On October 27, 2005, a number of Muslim organizations filed a complaint with the Danish police claiming that ''Jyllands-Posten'' had committed an offence under section 140 and 266b of the Danish Criminal Code.[23]
★ Section 140[24] of the Criminal Code, known as the blasphemy law, prohibits disturbing public order by publicly ridiculing or insulting the dogmas of worship of any lawfully existing religious community in Denmark. Only one case has ever resulted in a sentence, a 1938 case involving an anti-Semitic group. The most recent case was in 1971 when a program director of Danmarks Radio was charged, but found not guilty.[25]
★ Section 266b[26] criminalises insult, threat or degradation of natural persons, by publicly and with malice attacking their race, color of skin, national or ethnical roots, faith or sexual orientation.
On 6 January 2006, the Regional Public Prosecutor in Viborg discontinued the investigation as he found no basis for concluding that the cartoons constituted a criminal offence. His reason is based on his finding that the article concerns a subject of public interest and, further, on Danish case law which extends editorial freedom to journalists when it comes to a subject of public interest. He stated that, in assessing what constitutes an offence, the right to freedom of speech must be taken into consideration. He stated that the right to freedom of speech must be exercised with the necessary respect for other human rights, including the right to protection against discrimination, insult and degradation, but no apparent violation of the law had occurred. In a new hearing, the Director of Public Prosecutors in Denmark agreed.[27]
Danish Imams tour the Middle East
Main articles: Akkari-Laban dossier
Two imams who had been granted sanctuary in Denmark, dissatisfied with the reaction of the Danish Government and ''Jyllands-Posten'', created a forty-three-page document entitled "''Dossier about championing the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him''."[28] This consisted of several letters from Muslim organisations explaining their case including allegations of the mistreatment of Danish Muslims, citing the ''Jyllands-Posten'' cartoons (including the false claim that said publication was a government-run newspaper) and also supplementing the following causes of "pain and torment" for the authors:
# Pictures from another Danish newspaper, ''Weekendavisen'', which they called "even more offending" (than the original twelve cartoons);
# Hate-mail pictures and letters that the dossier's authors alleged were sent to Muslims in Denmark, said to be indicative of the rejection of Muslims by the Danish;
# A televised interview discussing Islam with Dutch member of parliament and Islam critic Hirsi Ali, who had received the Freedom Prize "for her work to further freedom of speech and the rights of women" from the Danish Liberal Party represented by Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
Appended to the dossier were multiple clippings from ''Jyllands-Posten'', multiple clippings from ''Weekendavisen'', some clippings from Arabic-language papers and three additional images which also had no connection with Denmark.
French pig-squealing contestant from the imams' dossier. Original caption included in the dossier: ''"Here is the real image of Muhammad."''
The imams claimed that the three additional images were sent anonymously by mail to Muslims who were participating in an online debate on ''Jyllands-Posten'',[29] and were apparently included to illustrate the perceived atmosphere of Islamophobia in which they lived, and to trigger anti-Western hatred.[30] On February 1 BBC World incorrectly reported that one of them had been published in ''Jyllands-Posten''.[31] This image was later found to be a wire-service photo of a contestant at a French pig-squealing contest.[32][33] One of the other two additional images (a photo) portrayed a Muslim being mounted by a dog while praying, and the other (a cartoon) portrayed Muhammad as a demonic paedophile. Equipped with the dossier, the two imams circulated it throughout the Muslim world, presenting their case to many influential religious and political leaders, asking for support.[34]
The dossier contained such statements as the following:
★ We urge you [recipient of the letter or dossier] to — on the behalf of thousands of believing Muslims — to give us the opportunity of having a constructive contact with the press and particularly with the relevant decision makers, not briefly, but with a scientific methodology and a planned and long-term programme seeking to make views approach each other and remove misunderstandings between the two parties involved. Since we do not wish for Muslims to be accused of being backward and narrow, likewise we do not wish for Danes to be accused of ideological arrogance either. When this relationship is back on its track, the result will bring satisfaction, an underpinning of security and the stable relations, and a flourishing Denmark for all that live here.
★ The faithful in their religion (Muslims) suffer under a number of circumstances, first and foremost the lack of official recognition of the Islamic faith. This has led to a lot of problems, especially the lack of right to build mosques [...]
★ Even though they [the Danes] belong to the Christian faith, the secularizations have overcome them, and if you say that they are all infidels, then you are not wrong.
★ We [Muslims] do not need lessons in democracy, but it is actually us, who through our deeds and speeches educate the whole world in democracy.
★ This [Europe's] dictatorial way of using democracy is completely unacceptable.
The inclusion in the dossier of the cartoons from ''Weekendavisen'' was possibly a misunderstanding, as these were more likely intended as parodies of the pompousness of ''Jyllands-Posten's cartoons than as comments on the prophet in their own right.[35] They consist of reproductions of works such as the ''Mona Lisa'' (caption: ''For centuries, a previously unknown society has known that this is a painting of the Prophet, and guarded this secret. The back page's anonymous artist is doing everything he can to reveal this secret in his contribution. He has since then been forced to go underground, fearing for the wrath of a crazy albino imam''). This is an obvious parody of the Da Vinci Code.
At a 6 December 2005 summit of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, with many heads of state in attendance, the dossier was handed around on the sidelines first,[36] and eventually an official communiqué was issued, demanding that the United Nations impose international sanctions upon Denmark.[37]
''Jyllands-Posten'' response
In response to protests from Muslim groups, ''Jyllands-Posten'' published two open letters on its website, each of them in a Danish and an Arabic version.[38] The second letter, dated 30 January 2006, also has an English version:[39]
On February 26, the cartoonist who had drawn the ''bomb in turban'' picture, the most
controversial of the twelve, explained:
Reprinting in other newspapers
In 2005, the Muhammad cartoons controversy received only minor media attention outside of Denmark. Six of the cartoons were first reprinted by the Egyptian newspaper ''El Fagr'' on October 17, 2005,[40][41] along with an article strongly denouncing them, but publication did not provoke any condemnations or other reactions from religious or government authorities. Between October 2005 and the end of January 2006, examples of the cartoons were reprinted in major European newspapers from the Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia, Belgium and France. Very soon after, as protests grew, there were further re-publications around the globe, but primarily in continental Europe.
Notable for a lack of republication of the cartoons were most major newspapers in the USA[42] and the United Kingdom,[43] where editorials covered the story without including them. Several newspapers were closed and editors fired or arrested for their decision or intention to re-publish the cartoons, including the shutting down of a 60 year old Malaysian newspaper permanently.
Economic and human costs
Main articles: Economic and human costs of the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
Map shows a colored matrix of republication (blue) and violence (red)
A consumer boycott was organised in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and other Middle East countries.[44]
For weeks, numerous notable demonstrations and other protests against the cartoons took place worldwide. Rumours spread via SMS and word-of-mouth.[45]On February 4 2006, the Danish and Norwegian embassies in Syria were set ablaze, though with no injuries. In Beirut, the Danish Embassy was set on fire,[46] leaving one protester dead.[47] Altogether, at least 139 people were killed in protests,[1] mainly in Nigeria, Libya, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Several death threats and reward offers for killing those responsible for the cartoons have been made,[49] resulting in the cartoonists going into hiding.[50]. Four ministers have resigned amidst the controversy, among them Roberto Calderoli and Laila Freivalds.[51] In India, Haji Yaqoob Qureishi, a minister in Uttar Pradesh state government announced in February 2006 a cash reward of Rs 51 crore (roughly about US$11 million) for anyone who beheads 'the Danish cartoonist' who caricatured Prophet Mohammad.[52] [53][54] Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State of the United States of America has accused Iran and Syria of organizing many of the recent protests in Iran, Syria and Lebanon.[55][56]
The Western media dubbed the series of demonstrations organized in February 2006 by certain Middle Eastern governments and radical clerics as the "Cartoon Intifada".[57]
On September 9, 2006, it was announced that the Muslim boycott of Danish goods had reduced exports to the Muslim world by 15.5%, costing about €134 million.[58] However, the ''Guardian'' newspaper in the UK also reported, "While Danish milk products were dumped in the Middle East, fervent rightwing Americans started buying Bang & Olufsen stereos and Lego. In the first quarter of this year Denmark’s exports to the US soared 17%."[59]
Further police investigations
★ The French/Algerian journalist Mohammed Sifaoui [60] secretly filmed[61][62] Ahmed Akkari, spokesman for the group of Danish Imams that toured the Middle East, in conversation with Sheikh Raed Hlayhel (head of the 2nd delegation), speculating that if MP Naser Khader ever became a minister, that two men would show up and have him and his ministry bombed.[63] Ahmad Abu Laban was also filmed talking about a man who wants "to wreak absolute havoc" and "wants to join the fray and turn it into a Martyr operation right now."[64] Akkari initially denied the remarks, then explained he was only joking.[65] Both men were investigated, but no charges were brought.
★ Police in Berlin overwhelmed Amer Cheema, a student from Pakistan, as he entered the office building of Die Welt newspaper, armed with a large knife. Cheema admitted to trying to kill editor Roger Köppel for reprinting the Mohammad cartoons in the newspaper. On May 3 2006, Cheema committed suicide in his prison cell. Cheema's family and Pakistani media claim he was tortured to death.[66] 30,000 people attended Cheema's funeral near Lahore[67].
★ Two suitcase bombs were discovered in trains near the German towns of Dortmund and Koblenz, undetonated due to an assembly error. Video footage from Cologne train station, where the bombs were put on the trains, led to the arrest of two Lebanese students in Germany, Youssef el-Hajdib and Jihad Hamad, and subsequently of three suspected co-conspirators in Lebanon[68]. On 1 September 2006, Jörg Ziercke, head of the Bundeskriminalamt (Federal Police), reports that the suspects saw the Muhammad cartoons as an "assault by the West on Islam" and the "initial spark" for the attack, originally planned to coincide with the 2006 Football World Cup in Germany.[69][70] One of the suspects, Youssef el-Hajdib, was arrested heading to Denmark. Police found the phone number of Abu Bashar, the leader of the Danish Imams' first cartoon-related delegation to the Middle East, in Hadjib's pockets. Abu Bashar denies knowing al-Hajdib.[71]
Anniversary flare-up
One year after the publication of the original cartoons, a video surfaced showing members of the Danish People's Party's youth wing engaged in a contest of drawing pictures that insult Muhammad. Publicity surrounding the contest led to renewed tension between the Islamic world and Denmark,[72] with the OIC and many countries weighing in. The Danish government condemned the youths, and those who were depicted in the video went into hiding after receiving death threats.
Two weeks into this episode, a Danish artists' group, "Defending Denmark", claimed responsibility for the video and said it had infiltrated the Danish People's Party Youth for 18 months claiming "to document (their) extreme right wing associations".[73]
A few days later a new episode surfaced, when a member of the Social-liberal youth movement stated, that members of the movement had also drawn pictures of Muhammad during a weekend meeting. Unlike the Danish People's Party Youth's drawings, this episode was not condoned by the youth movement, but was done by individuals.
All four videos of the controversy can be seen here.
Opinions and issues
Danish journalistic tradition
Freedom of speech was obtained in a new Danish constitution[17] in 1849, and has been defended vigorously ever since. It was suspended for the duration of the German occupation of Denmark in World War II. Freedom of expression is also protected by the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The Danish newspapers are privately owned and independent from the government, and Danish freedom of expression is quite far-reaching, even by Western standards. In the past, this has provoked official protests from Germany about printing neo-nazi propaganda, and from Russia for "solidarity with terrorists."[75] The organization Reporters Without Borders ranks Denmark at the top of its Worldwide Press Freedom Index for 2005.[76]
Religion is often portrayed in ways that other societies consider illegal blasphemy.[77][78][79] While ''Jyllands-Posten'' has published satirical cartoons depicting Christian figures,[80] it did, in 2003, reject unsolicited surreal cartoons depicting Jesus,[81] opening them to accusations of a double standard.[82] In February 2006, ''Jyllands-Posten'' also refused to publish Holocaust denial cartoons offered by an Iranian newspaper.[83][84] Six of the less controversial entries were later published by ''Dagbladet Information'', after the editors consulted the main rabbi in Copenhagen,[85] and three cartoons were in fact later reprinted in ''Jyllands-Posten''.[86][87] After the competition had finished, ''Jyllands-Posten'' also reprinted the winning and runner-up cartoons.[88]
Muslim tradition
Aniconism
Main articles: Aniconism in Islam, Depictions of Muhammad
"Muhammad" in Arabic calligraphy.
Owing to the traditions of aniconism in Islam, the majority of art concerning Muhammad is calligraphic in nature. The Qur'an condemns idolatry, and pictoral forms are seen as ostensibly close to idol worship. These are found in Ahadith [plural of Hadith]: ''"Ibn ‘Umar reported Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) having said: Those who paint pictures would be punished on the Day of Resurrection and it would be said to them: Breathe soul into what you have created."'' [89][90][91][92]
Muhammad rededicating the Kaaba Black Stone. In Jami Al-Tawarikh "The Universal History" by Rashid Al-Din, at the University of Edinburgh library; c. 1315.
Within Muslim communities, views have varied regarding pictorial representations. Shi'a Islam has been generally tolerant of pictorial representations of human figures, including Muhammad.[93] Contemporary Sunni Islam generally forbids any pictorial representation of Muhammad,[94] but has had periods allowing depictions of Muhammad's face covered with a veil or as a featureless void emanating light.
A few contemporary interpretations of Islam, such as some adherents of Wahhabism and Salafism, are entirely aniconistic and condemn pictorial representations of any kind.
The Taliban, while in power in Afghanistan, banned television, photographs and images in newspapers and destroyed paintings including frescoes in the vicinity of the Buddhas of Bamyan.[95]
Prohibition to insult Muhammad
In Muslim societies, insulting the Islamic prophet Muhammad is considered one of the gravest of all crimes. Some interpretations of the Shariah, in particular the relatively fringe Salafi group, state that any insult to Muhammad warrants death.[96]
However, the Organization of the Islamic Conference has denounced calls for the death of the Danish cartoonist. OIC's Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu stated in a press release:
''The Secretary General appeals to the Muslims to stay calm and peaceful in the wake of sacrilegious depiction of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) which has deeply hurt their feelings. He has stated that Islam being the religion of tolerance, mercy and peace teaches them to defend their faith through democratic and legal means.''[97]
Associating Islam with terrorism
Many Muslims have explained their anti-cartoon stance as against ''insulting'' pictures and not so much as against pictures in ''general''. According to the BBC:
Islamism and accusations of xenophobia
Main articles: Muslims in Western Europe, Multiculturalism
Fundamentalist Islam has recently been acknowledged as a problem in Europe,[98][99] while disillusionment with multiculturalism is on the rise in Denmark.[100] This was further fuelled by Mullah Krekar stating that "the number of Muslims is expanding like mosquitoes."[101][102] The UNCHR Special Rapporteur, on the other hand, saw xenophobia and racism in Europe as the root of the controversy,[103] particularly singling out Denmark.[104][105][106]
Allegations of "agendas"
Agendas in the West
Some commentators see the publications of the cartoons and the riots that took place in response, as part of a coordinated effort to show Muslims and Islam in a bad light, thus influencing public opinion in the West in aid of various political projects, for example to support further military intervention in the Middle East.[107][108] Most commentators in Europe framed the dispute as one between Islam and freedom of expression, which was a useful banner "under which the most diverse sectors of society can unite in the name of ‘European values’: feminists and Christian conservatives, social democrats and neoliberals, nationalists and multiculturalists, civil rights activists and consumption-oriented hedonists."
The controversy was used to highlight a supposedly irreconcilable rift between Europeans and Islam - as the journalist Andrew Mueller put it: "I am concerned that the ridiculous, disproportionate reaction to some unfunny sketches in an obscure Scandanavian newspaper may confirm that ... Islam and the West are fundamentally irreconcilable"[109] - and many demonstrations in the Middle-East were encouraged by the regimes there for their own purposes. Different groups used this tactic for different purposes, some more explicitly than others: for example anti-immigrant groups, nationalists, feminists, classical liberals and national governments.[110]
Muslim critics have also accused the west, in particular the EU, of double standards in adopting laws that outlaw Holocaust denial. Denmark, along with Britain and Sweden, have particularly libertarian traditions concerning Holocaust denial and pressed for wording in a recent EU legislation that would avoid criminalizing debates about the Holocaust and would ensure that films and plays about the Holocaust would not be censored.[111]
Alleged Zionist agenda
Among others,[112] Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed a "Zionist conspiracy" for the row over the cartoons.[113] The Palestinian envoy to Washington alleged the Likud party concocted distribution of Muhammad caricatures worldwide in a bid to create a clash between the West and the Muslim world.[114]
Islamist or Mideast regime agendas
Other commentators see Islamists jockeying for influence[115] both in Europe[116] and the Islamic Ummah,[117] who tried (unsuccessfully) to widen the split between the USA and Europe, and simultaneously bridge the split between the Sunnis and the Shia.[118]
Regimes in the Middle East have been accused of taking advantage of the controversy, and adding to it, in order to demonstrate their Islamic credentials, distracting from their failures by setting up an external enemy,[119]
[120]
[121] and "(using) the cartoons [...] as a way of showing that the expansion of freedom and democracy in their countries would lead inevitably to the denigration of Islam."[122] Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced a Holocaust Conference, supported[123] by the OIC, to uncover what he called the "myth" used to justify the creation of Israel.[124] Ahmadinejad started voicing doubt about the veracity of the holocaust at the same[125] OIC conference in Mecca that served to spread the Akkari-Laban dossier to leaders of the Muslim world.[36]
Alleged political correctness
Critics of political correctness see the cartoon controversy as a sign that attempts at judicial codification of such concepts as respect, tolerance and offense have backfired on their advocates, "leaving them without a leg to stand on"[127] and in retreat again:
In popular culture
The South Park episodes ''Cartoon Wars (I and II)'' parodied this event.
Comparable references
Main articles: Freedom of speech versus blasphemy
Numerous comparisons have been offered in public discourse comparing earlier controversies over propriety of speech and art with the controversy that surrounded the ''Jyllands-Posten'' cartoons. Some examples include:
★ ''Muhammed cartoons'' (newspaper, 2007, Sweden)
★ ''The Life of Jesus'' (book, 2005, Greece)
★ ''Jerry Springer - The Opera'' (musical, 2005, Britain)
★ ''Bloody Mary'' (TV, 2005, United States, New Zealand, and Australia)
★ ''Behzti (play, 2004, United Kingdom)''
★ ''Submission'' (short film, 2004, Netherlands)
★ ''Snow White and The Madness of Truth'' (installation, 2004, Sweden)
★ ''Ecce Homo'' (exhibition, 2000, Europe)
★ ''Sensation'' (exhibition, 1999, London and New York)
★ ''Corpus Christi'' (play, 1998, United States)
★ ''Great Lawgivers'' (frieze, 1997, Washington D.C.)
★ ''Tatiana Soskin'' (drawing, 1997, Israel)
★ ''Taslima Nasrin'' (newspaper, 1994, Bangladesh)
★ ''Piss Christ'' (photo, 1989, United States)
★ ''The Satanic Verses'' (novel, 1988, Global)
★ ''The Last Temptation of Christ'' (film, 1988, United States and Europe)
★ ''The Calcutta Quran Petition'' (court case, 1985, India)
★ ''Life of Brian'' (film, 1979, United States and Europe)
★ ''The Love That Dares to Speak Its Name'' (poem, 1977, United Kingdom)
★ ''Mohammad, Messenger of God'' (film, 1977, United States, Libya, UK and Lebanon)
See also
★ Blasphemy laws in Islamic Republic of Iran
★ Religion in Denmark
★ Censorship by religion
★ Clash of Civilizations
★ Dialogue Among Civilizations
★ Controversial newspaper caricatures
★ Freedom of the press
★ Freedom of speech and freedom of the press in Denmark
★ Freedom of speech versus blasphemy
★ Internet censorship in Pakistan
★ Iran Holocaust Cartoons Contest
★ Government-organized demonstration
★ Islam in Denmark
★ Islamist demonstration outside Danish Embassy in London
★ Pope Benedict XVI Islam controversy
★ Rakyat Merdeka dingo cartoon controversy
★ Separation of church and state
★ Strelnikoff Mary of Help of Brezje controversy
★ Lars Vilks#Muhammad drawings controversy
★ Nerikes-Allehanda Muhammad cartoons controversy
References
1. Cartoon Body Count
2.
3.
4. Cartoons of Prophet Met With Outrage ''Washington Post.'' "Kuwait called the cartoons "despicable racism."
° Blasphemous Cartoons Trigger Muslim Fury ''Iran Daily''. "Although Jyllands-Posten maintains that the drawings were an exercise in free speech, many consider them as provocative, racist and Islamophobic"
° Muslim cartoon row timeline ''BBC online'' "Egyptian newspaper al-Fagr reprints some of the cartoons, describing them as a "continuing insult" and a "racist bomb".
5. Islam and globanalisation
6. The limits to free speech - Cartoon wars
7. 70,000 gather for violent Pakistan cartoons protest
8. Dyb angst for kritik af islam
9. Overfaldet efter Koran-læsning
10. Debat: Bangebuks versus Kulturminister, 3rd section, Bøger, p.7
11. Why I Published Those Cartoons
12. Muhammeds ansigt Flemming Rose
13. "Profetens ansigt: Ingen selvcensur blandt tegnere". Politiken 20. oktober 2005, 2. sektion, side 3
14. Denmark targets extremist media
15. Ordene på Louise Freverts hjemmeside
16. Mikkelsen blæser til ny kulturkamp
17.
18. Ambassadør-breve blev forvekslet i Politiken
19. »Oversættelsen er helt uvæsentlig«
20. Egypten gav Fogh mulighed for forsoning
21. Egypten stod bag profetkampagne
22. Danish ambassadors criticise Andersen Fogh Rasmussen
23. Official Response by the Danish Government to the UN Special Rapporteurs
24. §140 of the Danish criminal code
25. Den glemte paragraf
26. §266b of the Danish criminal code
27. Decision on possible criminal proceedings
28. The imam and the unbelievers of Denmark
29. Sådan gik chatten - Bjerager og Akkari See question asked by ''xaria'' and answered by Akkari
30. What the Muhammad cartoons portray
31. Imam viste falske billeder
32. Neandernews: Danish Imams Busted!A clash of rights and responsibilities, BBC
33. Duo hogs top prize in pig-squealing contest
34. Alienated Danish Muslims Sought Help from Arabs
35. Trossamfund angriber Muhammed-satire i Weekendavisen
36. How a meeting of leaders in Mecca set off the cartoon wars around the world
37. Muslims seek UN resolution over Danish prophet cartoons
38.
39. Honourable Fellow Citizens of the Muslim World
40. Danes Blame Imams for Satire Escalation, Survey Says (Update1)
41. No Danish Treatment for an Egyptian Newspaper
42. A media dilemma: The rest of a story
43. US, British media tread carefully in cartoon furor
44. The Inciters and the Incited
45. E-Mail, Blogs, Text Messages Propel Anger Over Images
46. Protesters burn consulate over cartoons
47. Protestors killed as global furor over cartoons escalates
48. Cartoon Body Count
49. Another Bounty on 12 Cartoonists’ Heads
50. TimesOnline: Danish cartoonists fear for their lives
51. Libya suspends minister over riot
52. http://209.157.64.201/focus/f-news/1580915/posts
53. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060326/nation.htm
54. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1419344.cms
55. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/08/world/main1298998.shtml
56. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/08/world/main1298998.shtml Rice: Iran, Syria Behind Cartoon Riots by CBS News
57. http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/cliffordmay/2006/02/09/185968.html The Cartoon Intifada by Clifford D. May
58. Cartoons row hits Danish exports
59. http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1884323,00.html
60. Inside al Qaeda by Mohamed Sifaoui
61. Video footage of the French TV documentary
62. Video footage of Abu Laban
63. Tvivl om oversættelse af Akkari
64. Danish Imam Reveals `Martyr Action' Plot, Danmarks Radio Says
65. Danish police to probe imam's bomb threats
66. Selbstmord nach versuchtem Angriff auf Chefredakteur der "Welt" .
67. Up to 30,000 mourn Pakistani who died in German jail .
68. Lebanon arrests fourth suspect in German bomb case
69. Suspects behind failed German train bombings motivated Prophet Muhammad cartoons: investigator
70. Bahn-Anschläge schon zur Fußball-WM geplant
71. 9 arrested by Denmark in reported terror plot
72. Anti-Muslim video sparks new outrage against Denmark
73. Web sites remove videos mocking Muhammad
74.
75. Chechen rebels seek talks with Moscow
76. World Press Freedom Index, 2005
77. Painting by Jens Jørgen Thorsen
78. Danish movie Jesus vender tilbage on Internet Movie Database
79. Jesus vender tilbage plot description in the New York Times
80. Drawing from Jyllands-Posten
81. Zieler, Resurrection
82. Danish paper rejected Jesus cartoons Gwladys Fouché
83. No Holocaust Cartoons in Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten
84. Danish paper refuses Holocaust cartoons, ''The Scotsman'', ''9 February 2006''
85. Paper reprints Holocaust cartoons
86. Holocaust-konkurrence flopper
87. Holocaust-konkurrence flopper (p. 16)
88. Iran varsler endnu flere Holocaust-konkurrencer (p. 20)
89. Translation of Sahih Muslim, Book 24
90. Translation of Sahih Muslim, Book 24
91. Translation of Sahih Muslim, Book 24
92. Islam Today: Drawing Pictures & Producing Animated Cartoons
93. Answers of Grand Ayatollah Uzma Sistani
94. CAIR press release
95. Afghanistan: At the Crossroads of Ancient Civilisations
96. Question #22809: Ruling on one who insults the Prophet
97. Statement by H.E Prof Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu Secretary General of the OIC OIC
98. Europe vs. Radical Islam by Francis Fukuyama
99. Stoned to death... why Europe is starting to lose its faith in Islam
100. Denmark, the Euro, and fear of the Foreign
101. Krekar claims Islam will win
102. Libyan Leader Mu'ammar Al-Qadhafi: Europe and the U.S. Should Agree to Become Islamic or Declare War on the Muslims
103. Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and all forms of discrimination (E/CN.4/2006/17)
104. Denmark's new values
105. Second reprt on Denmark
106. Cultural racism: something rotten in the state of Denmark?
107. Islam and globanalisation
108. Rotten in Denmark
109.
110. ‘The journalists of Jyllands-Posten are a bunch of reactionary provocateurs’ The Danish cartoon controversy and the self-image of Europe
111. EU adopts measure outlawing Holocaust denial
112. Qatari University Lecturer Ali Muhi Al-Din Al-Qardaghi: Muhammad Cartoon Is a Jewish Attempt to Divert European Hatred from Jews to Muslims
113. Cartoons 'part of Zionist plot'
114. PA: Likud behind Muhammad cartoons
115. The Cartoon Jihad-The Muslim Brotherhood's project for dominating the West.
116. Behind the cartoon war: radical clerics competing for followers
117. Islamic Activism Sweeps Saudi Arabia
118. The Cartoon Backlash: Redefining Alignments
119. Cartoons Tap Into Deep-Seated Grievances
120. En uhellig alliance har bragt konflikten om det hellige ud af kontrol«
121. Opportunists Make Use of Cartoon Protests
122. Clash of Civilization
123. Iran plans Holocaust conference
124. Tehran faces backlash over conference to question Holocaust
125. Iranian president says Israel should be moved to Europe
126. How a meeting of leaders in Mecca set off the cartoon wars around the world
127. Respectful Cultures & Disrespectful Cartoons
External links
Primary sources
★
★
★
★ Second open letter to the Muslims of Saudi Arabia from Jyllands-Posten
★
★
★
★ In English
★ Photocopies of the Imams' dossier
★ The Danish Foreign ministry, rebutting rumours that were spread via SMS and word-of-mouth
★
★ Official press release of the Aarhus court (in Danish)
Islamic views
★ Declaration on behalf of Muslim Religious Leaders signed by many notable clerics and scholars.
★ Amr khaled - A message to the World
★ Danish cartoons and sacred imagery
★ A Danish Trojan Horse: Law and the Muhammad Cartoons, JURIST
★ Tolerance on Trial: Why We Reprinted the Danish Cartoons (op-ed by the publisher of the English-language ''Yemen Observer'' newspaper), JURIST
★ Support Your Prophet ''A declaration condemning the attack by reporters from Denmark and Norway against the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam''.
★ MEMRI translation of Friday sermon by Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradhawi, head of European Council for Fatwa and Research
★ The Danish caricatures seen from the Arab world by Ana Belén Soage, ''Totalitarian Movements and Political Religions'' 7(3).
Non-Islamic views
★ Was nun, ferner Bärtiger? (''What's next, bearded one?'') by Sonia Mikich, ''die tageszeitung'', February 6, 2006 - English translation at signandsight.com
★ Today’s Counter-Enlightenment by Ralf Dahrendorf, Project Syndicate
★ A post-Satanic journey by Ehsan Masood, openDemocracy, July 2, 2006
Press reviews
★ BBC, Q&A Depicting the Prophet Muhammad
★ The Guardian special reports: cartoon protests
★ World press review by BBC Monitoring
★ BBC Viewpoints
★ ''The twelve Muhammad cartoons'' a European press review at signandsight.com
Video
★ London demonstration in front of the Danish embassy 3 Feb 2006
★ Protesters Burn European Embassies, Consulates, Churches in Damascus and Beirut February 4-5 2006
★ Interview with American Muslim Hamza Yusuf on Danish news show ''Deadline''
★ BBC HARDtalk: Ahmad Abu Laban and Fleming Rose, 8 February 2006
★ JFK Jr. Forum cartoons controversy discussion at Harvard University by Shahab Ahmed, Jocelyne Cesari, Father J. Bryan Hehir, Dr. Joseph S. Nye Jr. (RealPlayer stream)
★ More4 News report on the French magazine, Charlie Hebdo, that reprinted the cartoons of the prophet Mohammed being cleared of defamation.
Images
★ The 12 cartoons in full size at Newspaper Index
★ The page of Jylland-Posten that contains Muhammad cartoons
★ Picture series - Burning of the Danish embassy in Syria
★ More editorial cartoons, including some depicting Muhammed, mainly in response to the protests of the original drawings
★ Prophet cartoons and comments on the controversy
Online petitions
★ It is Enough Now Letter for reconciliation in Arabic, Danish and English
★ A letter from Another Denmark Another Danish petition for reconciliation
★ An online protest against cartoons of Prophet Muhammad A site that condemns the Jyllands Posten cartoons and invites others to protest by submitting their e-mail addresses. As of April 8, 2006 more than 145,000 individuals had entered their addresses.
★ Bad Democracy Award for March 2006. Abu Laban won by a landslide.
Other sources
★ Cartoons riots Google Maps mashup A mashup displaying places where protests, riots and fatalities occurred during the Mohamed cartoons row
★ The Mohammed-Cartoon Controversy, Israel, and the Jews: A Case Study by Manfred Gerstenfeld of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
★ Weekly Standard Reprint of Danish Cartoons by William Kristol
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